An Interview With The Alternative Indie Duo, VIOLET NIGHT!

Photo Credit- Kurtis Nguyen

Meet the alternative/indie duo, Violet Night! They are set to break out this year with their debut LP,

“Colours Of You.” Featuring previously released single “North,” Colours Of You consists of ten atmospheric and anthemic songs about love, loss, hope, and happiness. Colours Of You will be released on May 4th, and is now available for pre-order at smarturl.it/VNCOY

For more information, please visit: www.violetnight.org

“Our hope, beyond being there for people, is to inspire them to create their own Colours Of You. Music is therapeutic for both of us. It’s carried us through the sunniest days and most violent storms of our lives,” shares vocalist/guitarist.”

“We just wanted to make something to give to others what we’ve received from so many beautiful records. There’s no words to describe the feeling we get as artists knowing the music is resonating with people and helping them, even if it’s just enough to get out of bed in the morning.”

He continues: “We grew up on everything from heavy metal and rap, to emo and pop. We try to create a colourful mosaic of all those influences when we write; we’ve never created with borders or put limitations on what we are allowed to sound like. We’ll always do whatever feels most honest to us at that moment in our lives and I think we’ve done that here. We are really proud of the album and hope the hues presented complement yours: the colours of you.”

Violet Night don’t just play their instruments; they use them as tools to carefully construct emotion. Hailing from rural British Columbia, vocalist/guitarist Connor Pohl and keyboardist T.J. Rounthwaite aim to traverse soundscapes as diverse as their province’s landscapes. From the soaring heights of mountains to the tranquil beauty of a forest, the sky’s the limit with this band’s sound and potential. A recent main-stage appearance at Grizfest and co-headlining B.C. run with The Statistics proved Violet Night’s charisma belongs on the stage, as much as their creativity belongs in the studio. With the floodgates of possibility opened and waves already forming, be prepared to be awash in Colours of You and Violet Night.

Connect With Violet Night Here:

Website: www.violetnight.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/violetnightmusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/violetnightmusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/violetnightband

Learn more about Violet Night in the following All Access interview:

So what is one song that you are all loving right now? What is a song that you all disagree about loving right now?

Right now we’re really loving the new Underoath music. There’s nothing we’re really disagreeing about at the moment!

How has 2018 been treating you all so far? What is one musical goal that you have for this year?

2018 has been good so far!

Can you recall the moment when you all thought you could be in a band together? Was it hard to come up with a name that you all thought fit your sound and who you are? How did you pick this one?

We talked about playing music together for years but I was investing a lot of time into my former band, City Light Vigil, and TJ didn’t aspire to create music in a band setting. We always joked if we created music together we could make big things happen. We knew we had instant chemistry when we would play together before it became something more serious. The fire was evident even with just piano, acoustic guitar and vocals.

We originally had planned on calling ourselves “WLVES” or “WLVS” (pronounced wolves) and one night we had a good chat in TJ’s basement and the name was born. TJ’s favourite colour is violet. To me violet night paints a beautiful mental picture. It’s those late mid-summer nights, during which you fall in love, fall out of it and everything else in between. It’s the infinite youth that lives in you, wrapped up with joy, curiosity, longing, fear, excitement and every emotion that makes your heart skip a beat. It’s when you hear a song that reminds you of someone you used to love and they’re standing in the same room. These are songs for the kids of yesterday and for the kids of right now.

What does it feel like to be about to release your debut album, “Colours Of You”? Did anything surprise you about the overall process? Were there any unexpected challenges in the recording studio?

It feels incredible. It was quite a year working on it and to be on the brink of release is something we’re ecstatic about. The fans have held on to an EP and two singles and stuck it out with ardent support. This is for them. The biggest surprise in the studio was the song “Where We Began,” which was originally a demo I thought wouldn’t make the final cut, then we decided to record it on our second last day in the studio. It’s ended up being the favourite song for most people who have gotten a sneak peak at the record, so it’s crazy to think it nearly didn’t make it!

How do you think your first single “North” prepares listeners for the rest of your album? What was the inspiration for this song?

I think “North” is a great song to introduce people to Colours of You because it combines our love for alternative rock with a smooth vibe in the verses. We’re influenced by everything under the sun, though, so it’s really hard to pin down our sound — our colours.

What are a few other tracks on your forthcoming collection that you are excited to share with the world? Generally, how do you two go about writing your songs?

Usually I write the skeleton of a song — a chord progression, rhythm and lyrics/structure — and present it to TJ, then we collaborate to build it out with piano, electronics and whatever else fits the mood.

Honestly, the album ended up being very diverse, with no two songs sounding overly alike. My current favourite to play live is “Choir of Your Mind,” though TJ’s favourite is “Depths.”

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere? Do you have any upcoming touring dates scheduled?

I love having no address, seeing new things and seeing the smiling faces of people who love our music. For me,touring is the absolute best part of this.

How do you think being a musician and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today? With everything going on in the world today, how do you think your music is a reflection of these times?

What gives us the most joy is knowing these songs are helping and inspiring people. All we ever set out to do was be there for people the way other artists’ music has been there for us. Music is the foundation to both of our lives, and I think our music is resonating with so many people lately because they’re drawn to things with raw emotion and depth. More people deal with personal conflict and emotional problems (or at least are more open about them) than ever before. Love isn’t what it used to be. People are afraid to love because our culture has made it so much more complicated than it needs to be. I think deep down most people want a connection, but everyone’s afraid of being hurt. We’re a band that carries the torch for the outcasts, the hopeless romantics and the dreamers.

I never sit down when I’m super happy and write music, though. Writing for me is therapeutic. It’s how I get myself balanced.

Who are you all listening to these days? What artists have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

I’ve been really into The Moth & The Flame, Coldplay and Fences lately. We grew up on everything and pull influence from all of that and then some. The only genre I don’t particularly enjoy is pop country.

If we could work with one person in the future it would be Tom DeLonge (blink-182, Angels and Airwaves) or Chris Martin (Coldplay).

How important do you think social media has been to this band? Do all you help to maintain all your sites or is one of you more into it all? Or do you rely on your PR/management team to handle it all?

Social media has been huge for us, especially Instagram! We’re huge on visuals. We spent a long time tweaking the artwork for Colours of You because we knew it would dictate a lot of our aesthetic and visuals. We run the accounts with some help our manager.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs? What do you hope they take away from one of your shows?

We hope our music inspires people to create their own music or just create something they can hold onto, love and have inspire others. If that happens, it’ll be like an endless cycle of creation, which is such a powerful thing. Music is the best soundtrack to any memory and is a universal medium. I think we’re really fortunate to be able to share it with so many beautiful people. We hope they use these songs needed: a soundtrack to the brightest mornings, the darkest nights and every moment in between.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about this band or your music?

Maybe it’s the Canadian in us, but we get people saying, “You guys are so nice,” a lot. People should never be afraid to come say hi after a show (or message us on social media), as we’ll never be to cool for the people who’re holding this thing up. We love you.